Feeding device for pliable sheet material



R. E. J. NORDQUIST 2,593,480

FEEDING DEVICE FOR PLIABLE SHEET MATERIAL.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 22, 1952 Filed July 14, 1947 [NESTOR ATTO R N EYS April 22, 1952 R. E. J. NORDQUIST 2,593,480

FEEDING DEVICE FOR PLIABLE SHEET MATERIAL Filed July'14, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 2 I. INVENTO x: B a

ATTORNEYS April 22, 1952 J, NORDQUIST 2,593,480

FEEDING DEVICE FOR PLIABLE SHEET MATERIAL Filed July 14, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Q (Q s BY "llama A ATTORNE YS Patented Apr. 22, 1952 FEEDING DEVICE FOR PLIABLE SHEET MATERIAL Ronald E. J. Nordquist, Maplewood, N. J assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 14, 1947,.Serial No. 760,906

The present invention'relatesto feeding devices and has particular referenceto devices for advancing pliable sheet or strip material along a predetermined path of travel "for a present or subsequent operation.

An object of the invention is the provision of a feeding device for sheet or strip material wherein pliable or otherwise difficult to handle material may be readily advanced along a predetermined path of travel for an operation to be performed on the material or for other purposes.

Another object is the provision of such a feeding device wherein the material may be held tightly and confined against buckling and wrinkling so that it may be fed forward into and through a working station for the performance of an operation thereupon. I

Another object is the provision of such'a feeding device which, while particularly adapted to machines wherein the material is pushed through a working station because the forward end of the material is weakened by the operation thereon at said station, may also be adapted to a pull type feed.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevationof a feeding device embodying the instant invention, with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail showing certain of the parts shown in Fig. 1, in a different position, with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a view similarto Fig. l, with parts removed and parts shown insection;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail of certain parts illustrated in Fig. 3 with the parts shown in a different position and with parts broken away;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the device as viewed from the left in Figs. 1 and 3, with parts broken away and parts shown in section; r

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end view of the device as viewed from theright in Figs. 1 and 3; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are exploded perspective views of cooperating parts used in the device, the parts illustrated in Fig. 8 being. shown on an enlarged scale. 1'

As a preferred embodiment of the instant invention the drawingsillustrate afeeding device for advancing a substantially continuous strip or web A (Fig. 1) of thin pliable fibrous ma- 9 Claims. (01. 271-25) 1 and sheet materials and for other than die cutting operations, if desired.

The die mechanism B may be a conventional mechanism including a movable punch member H (Fig. 3) and a stationary die ring or member I2 between which the strip A of material is interposed for the cutting of the discs C therefrom. By way of example, the drawings show the punch member H slidably mounted in a bearing l4 formed in a frame l5 which may be a part of a more elaborate machine for receiving and assembling the discs C with container parts or for otherwise utilizing the discs.

The die ring I2 is shown disposed below the punch member I I in spaced and axial alignment therewith and located in a seat [8 formed in the frame I5. A discharge opening l9 formed in the frame below the die ring permits the delivery of the discs C from the die mechanism as they are cut. The discs may be collected or conveyed to a place of deposit or used in any suitable manner.

The strip A of material from which the discs C are cut, may be received from. any suitable source of supply, such as a roll of the material, and is fed to the die mechanism B in an intermittent or step-by-step manner. The strip is supported during this feeding operation, by a support roller 22 which is mounted on a pin 23 secured in a pair of spaced and parallel .brackets 24 formed on a frame extension 25, of the frame l5. During the cutting operation the strip is held stationary.

' Feeding or advancement of the strip A through the die mechanism B is effected by a main feed plate 21 (Figs. 3, 5 and '7) and a cooperating auxiliary feed plate 28 disposed on opposite sides of the strip in spaced and parallel relation to each other. The space between the plates is slightly in excess of the thickness of the strip A to permit free passage of the strip therethrough while yet guiding and closely confining the strip and preventing buckling or wrinkling thereof.

The main feed plate 21 is slidably carried in a horizontal slideway 3| formed in the frame l5iand extending through the die or cutting station. A clearance opening 32 in the plate permits, the plate to straddle the die punch H and ring 2 without interference. The auxiliary feed plate 28 is located and loosely confined within a longitudinal recess 34 formed in the bottom of the main feed plate 21 and thereby moves with the main feed plate as a unitary structure. For this purpose the auxiliary feed plate is formed with a pair of longitudinal tongues 35 which project laterally from the side edges of the plate and fit within long notches or grooves 36 in the bottom of the main feed plate 27. Through this connection, the auxiliary feed plate is restrained against longitudinal displacement from the main feed plate but is free to move vertically within the recess 34. A clearance opening 3? in the auxiliary feed plate permits the plate to straddle the die punch I l and ring I2 without interference.

The two feeding plates 2?, 28 are reciprocated in the slideway 3! through a forward or feeding stroke and thence through a return stroke in time with the vertical movement of the punch H for advancing the strip into proper position in the die mechanism for a cutting operation. This reciprocation of the feeding plates is brought about by a bell crank 4! (Figs. 1, 3 and which is mounted on the inner end of a pivot shaft 42 carried in a bearing 43 formed on the extension of the frame i5.

The bell crank 41 is formed with an actuating arm 45 and a rocker arm 45. The rocker arm :26 is connected by a link 4? to an eccentric 43 mounted on a drive shaft 49 journaled in a bearing 5| formed in the frame l5. The drive shaft 49 may be rotated in any suitable manner in time with the movement of the die punch II.

The outer end of the actuating arm 45 is formed with a rounded nose 53 (Figs. 3, 4 and 8) which extends up into engagement with a hook 54 formed on a latch 55 having a pair of spaced latch arms 56 mounted on a pivot pin 51 (see also Fig. 5) carried in a bracket 58 formed on the outer end of the main feed plate 27. A stop lug 59 formed on one of the latch arms 55 extends up under the auxiliary feeding plate 28 and engages the plate for retaining the latch in position.

Between the latch arms 56, the pivot pin 51 carries a bifurcated clamping arm 6! having a clamping roller 62 mounted therein adjacent and in line with a curved cam edge 63 on the back of the actuating arm nose 53. This clamp ing arm is formed with a pair of clamping lugs 65 which engage under a clamping block 66 formed on the bottom of the auxiliary feed I plate 28.

Hence at the start of a forward or feeding stroke, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4, the actuating arm 45 rocks forward (toward the right), bringing the curved cam surface 53 on the back of its nose 53 into engagement with the clamping roller 62 and thereby rocks the clamping arm El inwardly and upwardly. This movement of the clamping arm 5! presses the clamping lugs 65 against the clamping block 65 as shown in Fig. 4, and thus lifts the outer end of the auxiliary feed plate 28 and the strip A until the strip engages against the main feed plate 21 as shown in Fig. 4. This action clamps the strip A tightly between the outer ends of the two plates.

With the strip A in this clamped position, continued forward movement of the actuating arm 45 against the clamping roller 62, pushes the feeding plates 2?, 28 forward (toward the right of Figs. 1 and 3) while maintaining the strip clamped between the plates. Thus the strip is pushed forward with the plates an amount slightly in excess of the diameter of a disc'C for a subsequent cutting operation. An adjustable stop screw 63 threadedly secured in the bracket 58 engages against the frame l5 at the end of the feeding stroke of the feeding plates for limiting the travel of the plates for accurately locating the strip in the die mechanism B.

After such an advancement of the strip the feeding plates move back through a return stroke. This is effected by a reverse rocking of the actuating arm 45 through the eccentric As the arm 45 starts to shift back it moves away from the clamping roller 52 and this permits the auxiliary feeding plate 28 to drop into its original horizontal position and fall away from the strip A and thereby release its clar ing hold on the strip. Simultaneously with release of the strip, the nose 53 of the actua arm 45 engages in the hook 54 of the latch and thus pulls the feeding plates 2?, 23 back to their original position in readiness for the next clamping and feeding stroke.

During this return stroke of the feeding 27, 28, the-strip A is held against return move ment with the feeding plates, the clearance space between the plates permitting this action. holding of the strip is effected by a pair of ho" ing fingers or gripper elements 72 (Figs. 1, 3, awhich wedge the strip tightly as shown 3, against a stationary wedge block iii fond-v. on the frame l5 adjacent the path of travel of the strip as it leaves the die mechanism 13 a disc cutting operation.

The holding fingers F2 are mounted on a crossshaft 15 carried in a pair of lugs 16 formed on the frame [5. The outer end of the shaft carries an actuating lever 11 which extends down a cent one end of an actuating rod '13 (Fig. carried in a bearing 19 formed on the frame 15. The opposite end of the rod is secured in the upper end of an upright lever arm 82 which clamped by a split ring 83 (Figs. 1 and 5) and a bolt 84 to a friction hub 85 mounted on the shaft 42. The bolt is tightened just enough to keep the lever arm 82 frictionally engaged with the hub 85 so that the arm will be rocked by the rocking movement of the shaft 42, but may be held stationary on occasion while the hub continues to rotate.

Thus on a forward stroke of the feeding plates 21, 28, the lever arm 82 moves forward with the actuating arm 45 and presses the end of the rod 18 against the actuating lever 11 and thus rocks the lever suflicient to swing the gripper elements l2 away from the wedge block 1'3 as shown in Fig. l and thereby permit the strip A to be fed forward over the wedge block. The rod 13 does not move a distance equal to the full stroke of the actuating arm 45 but only sufficient to disengage the fingers 12 from the wedge block, the friction lever arm 82 slipping on its hub 85 and remaining stationary during a major portion of the stroke of the actuating arm. This control of the stroke of the rod 18 is effected by lock-nuts 81 (Fig. 1) which are threadedly engaged with the rod and disposed on opposite sides of the bearing 19.

On the return stroke of the feeding plates 2?, 28, the rod 18 immediately moves away from the actuating lever 11. The gripper fingers 12 thereupon are pulled down against the strip and clamp it tightly against the wedge block 13 as hereinbefore mentioned. This wedging action of the gripper fingers is effected by a tension spring 68 (Fig. 1). One end of the spring is secured to the actuating arm 11 while its opposite end is secured to a pin fastened in the bearing 19.

Provision is made for preventing the feeding of the strip A if for some reason it is desiredto omit the cutting of a disc C therefrom. For this purpose the latch 55 is formed with a depending lever 9| (Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 8) which carries a laterally projecting pin 92 for engagement by a cooperating part of .the mechanism. Engagement or movement of the pin in the proper direc tion, temporarily raises the latch 55 out of the path of travel of the nose 53 of the actuating arm 45, as shown in Fig. 2, and thereby permits the arm to rock through a return and a feeding stroke without shifting the feeding plates 21, 28. Feeding of the strip is thereby prevented. In case the latch 55 is released during such a movement of the actuating arm 45 and falls down behind the arm, the nose 53 of the arm upon a forward stroke engages against a tapered face 93 on the latch and thereby lifts the latch for engagement thereunder for the following return stroke.

It is thought that the invention and many .of

its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will'be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described .being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

l. A feeding device for advancing sheet material along a predetermined path of travel, comprising in combination a pair of clamping members operable as a unitary structure and disposed on opposite sides of the material to be advanced for clamping the material therebetween, latch means on one of said members for moving both of said members in unison, actuating means engageable with said latch means for shifting said members along a predetermined path of travel, and means for shifting said latch means into an inoperative position out of engagement with said actuating means for inactivating said clamping members for holding the material stationary against advancement under abnormal conditions.

2. A feeding device for advancing sheet material along a predetermined path of travel, com prising in combination a frame, a main feeding plate slideably mounted in said frame, an auxile iary feeding plate disposed adjacent said main feeding plate and movable therewith with the material to be advanced interposed between said plates, a latch member carried on said main feeding plate, a clamping member also carried on said main feeding plate and extending adjacent said auxiliary feeding plate, and a movable actuating arm interposed between said members and engaging against said clamping member for shifting said auxiliary feeding plate and the material into a clamped position against said main feeding plate and simultaneously advancing said plates through a feeding stroke for advancing the clamped material therewith, said actuating arm also being engageable with said latch member for moving said plates through a return stroke free of the advanced material.

3. A feeding device for advancing pliable sheet material along a predetermined path of travel, comprising in combination a pair of reciprocable feed plates for confining said material therebetween, one of said plates having a recess through which the material passes, the other of said plates being positioned in said recess on the opposite side of said material and having a loose interlocking connection with the other of said plates, means pivotally mounted on one of said plates and engageable with the other plate for shifting the latter toward the other plate to clamp and confine the intervening material therebetween, means for reciprocating said plates as a unit through a feeding stroke to advance the clamped material while closely confined along its path of travel and thereafter through a return stroke leaving the material in its advanced position, and means for separating said feed plates on the return stroke of said reciprocating means for releasing the advanced material.

4. A feeding device for advancing pliable sheet material along a horizontal path of travel, comprising in combination an upper feed plate having a recess formed along its lower surface through which said sheet material passes, a

lower feed plate of substantially the same area as said upper plate positioned in said recess below said material and having loose interlocking connection with said upper feed plate for relative vrti'cal'movement, means pivotally mounted on one of said plates and engageable with the other plate for vertically shifting the latter toward the other plate to clamp and confine the sheet material therebetween, means for reciprocating said feed plates as a unit first through a feeding stroke to advance the clamped material along its horizontal path and thereafter through a reverse stroke to return said members into feeding position, means for separating said feed plates on their return stroke to release the advanced material, and gripper means engageable with the advanced material for holding it against reverse travel with said feed plates during their return stroke.

5. A feeding mechanism for advancing sheet material along a predetermined path of travel,

comprising a pair of substantially flat clamping and feeding members disposed on opposite sides of the material to be advanced for clamping the material therebetween, said members being free of attachment to one another, one of said members being loosely confined and interfitting Within a recess in the other member and engageable by the latter for unitary movement of said members along said path of travel, one of said members being movable toward the other member to clamp the material therebetween, and means connected to only one of said members for moving both members as a unit through a feeding stroke for advancing the sheet material while clamped between said members.

6. A feeding mechanism for advancing flexible sheet material along a predetermined path of travel, comprising a pair of substantially flat main and auxiliary feeding plates disposed on opposite sides of the material to be advanced for clamping the material therebetween, said plates being free of attachment to one another, one of said plates being loosely confined and interfitting. within a recess in the other plate for bodily movement relative to the latter in a direction normal to said path of travel and for unitary movement of said plates along said path of travel, means movably mounted on said main plate and engagable with said auxiliary plate for moving the latter toward said main plate within said recess to clamp the flexible sheet material therebetween, and means connected to only one of said plates for moving both plates as a unit through a feeding stroke for advancing the flexible sheet material while clamped between said main and auxiliary plates.

'7. A feeding mechanism for advancing flexible sheet material along a predetermined path of travel, comprising a pair of main and auxiliary feeding plates disposed on opposite sides of the material for clamping the latter therebetween, said plates being free of attachment to one another and interfitting one with the other for movement as a unit along said path of travel, a latch member and a clamping member each pivotally mounted on said main plate in spaced relation to one another at their outer ends, a movably mounted actuating arm having an end thereof disposed between said latch member and said clampingmember, and means for moving said arm in opposite directions, movement of the arm in one direction first engaging the same with and swinging said clamping member into en gagement with said auxiliary plate to move the latter toward said main plate to clamp thesheet material between the plates and thereafter move said plates as a unit through a feeding stroke, movement of said actuating arm in the opposite direction first releasing the arm from engagement with said clamping member to permit said plates to separate from clamping engagement with the material therebetween and thereafter engage said arm with said latch member to move said plates as a unit through a return stroke preparatory to a further "feeding stroke in the first named direction.

8. A feeding mechanism for advancing sheet material along a predetermined path of travel, comprising a pair of superposed feed plates having a tongue and groove connection therebetween to provide relative floating movement of the plates towards and away from one another into sheet clamping and sheet releasing positions respectively, said feed plates being movable as a unit for advancing said material from a material confining position to an advanced position for said material, clamping means movably mounted on one of said plates and engageable with the other plate for relatively moving the plates into clamping engagement with the interposed sheet material, and reciprocable actuating means engageable with said clamping means when moved in a forward feeding direction for clamping the sheet material between said feed plates and for thereafter moving the plates as a unit with the clamped material to said advanced position, movement of said actuating means in the opposite direction releasing said clamping means to separate and disengage said plates from said sheet material prior to returning the plates to said material confining position while thus maintained disengaged.

9. A feeding mechanism for advancing sheet material along a predetermined path of travel, comprising a pair of adjacent loosely interfitting ieed plates providing relative floating movement of the plates towards and away from an interposed sheet of material respectively to clamp and release said material, the loose interfitting engagement of said plates comprising a projection on one plate engaging a recess in the other plate to provide for linear movement of said plates as a unit in opposite directions respectively to advance and release'said interposed sheet, clamping means movably mounted on one of said feed plates and engageable against the other feed plate for moving the latter into clamping relation with said oneieed plate to clamp the interposed sheet material between said plates, and reciprocable actuating means engageable with said clamping means when the actuating means is moved in a forward feeding direction for clamping the sheet material between said feed plates and for thereafter moving said plates as a unit with the clamped sheet therebetween to the said advanced position of said sheet, movement of said actuating means in the opposite direction releasing said clamping means to disengage said plates from said sheet material prior to returning the plates to said material confining position while thus disengaged.

RONALD E. J. NORDQUIST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the Hafecost July 29, 

